In the closing decade of the 80s, I was embarking on a budget travel adventure to Europe with a companion. Because my travel mate was exploring pursuing a master’s degree in NYC, we had booked a fortnight visit there on the way to London.
We got to the postgrad residence, a sizeable ten-floor structure on the Manhattan's Upper West Side named International House. After dropping our bags, we headed straight to the cafeteria, where we grabbed food, sat down, and began chatting with other diners.
Adjacent to my seat was an individual of Iraqi origin pursuing an engineering degree at Columbia University. He asked me what I did, and I told him that I had newly finished with a degree in science and had been performing experiments using an electron microscope.
He noted that there was an microscopy facility at Columbia University – close to the engineering department, which was how he knew about it. He recommended that I should apply for a position with them. I chuckled at the suggestion, explaining that I was about to fly to Europe and, even more importantly, I lacked a US visa.
The next day I ventured out, coming back to the dining hall that after dark. The man from Iraq walked over to me and told me that he had arranged an interview for me with the leader of the research team at Columbia. Because he had gone to the trouble, I went to the meeting – but immediately told my host that I was without a work permit, so I was unable to accept the role.
In typical New York fashion – a place where everything seems achievable – she declared: “That can be arranged. When can you start?” I didn't board the aircraft to London.
I worked there for a trio of years. A perk of the job was that I was granted no-cost classes at Columbia, and I took advantage to earn a postgrad program in international relations.
We didn't cross paths after that and I don’t even know his identity, but his selfless gesture changed my life in numerous aspects. I would never have had the confidence or self-assurance to contact anyone at an Ivy League university and request employment. Additionally, I had long dreamed to pursue education overseas, but lacked the financial means without that tuition waiver.
Critically, that gig at Columbia resulted in a job in Zurich where I encountered my handsome spouse from France, with whom I am raising four wonderful sons and daughters. This was a pivotal life event. That kind stranger set me on a different course in life, and I’m always appreciative.
Can you recall the Nicest Thing a Stranger Has Once Performed for You?
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